THIS IS THE DAILY BLOG OF
DEBBIE PAPPYN.
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST
ONE MOMENT,
ONE PERSON,
ONE SKY,
THAT MAKES YOUR DAY.
ESPECIALLY WHILE TRAVELING.
I'LL BE SHARING THESE MOMENTS,
ONE PHOTO A DAY.
(WHEN TRAVELING)

19 Sep â€™14

Chukotka knows how to pull an Indian Summer, Russian style. Explosive colors of intense red to mustard yellow and vivid green moss in stark contrast with the dark blue of the ocean and the cloudless sky. Lâ€™ Austral anchors in the bay of Gravilla, a piece of untouched and remote Chukotka. Those wanting to go ashore and stroll around are out of luck. Unless you appreciate the company of a Russian brown bear. After the obligatory security check of the expedition team, we can land in Gravilla: a longer hike for sporties and some other strolls for those who like to take it easy. On the beach we spot a demarcated zone where apparently a little party took place. In the sand we spot the prints of Arctic fox, Arctic hare and even an elegant paw print of a brown bear. The long, volcanic beach turns into a windless lagoon and a bit further there is a beautiful waterfall. Nearly 160 passengers dissolve quickly in the autumnal landscape. Itâ€™s nice to see how everyone is enjoying this rather remote spot in their own way. A couple walks along the volcanic beach, with feet half on land, half in the ocean, and picks up shells and pebbles. Mireille from Paris is a biologist and collects sand samples from every spot in the world she travels to. Other guests explore the tundra, taking macro snapshots of mosses and typical plants of this Arctic outpost. We spot members of the expedition team on the lookout, always with a gun close by. In Chukotka you never know if something brown, big and fluffy might pop up from the colourful tundra.